Steve Rustad illuminates issues and dissects politics

The local consensus is that cross-town traffic has never been worse. The once-popular belief (held, at least, in the more progressive corners of river city) that foot-dragging on road-expansion would somehow preserve the local charm has fallen from favor. Perhaps perennially clogged roads and 30-minute cross-town commutes were considered charming [...]

River City is no different than anyplace else: nobody wants new taxes, but everybody wants more services. In some quarters more government is the answer, nay, the holy grail. Unfortunately, government doesn't generate wealth - especially not with a "Smart" (e.g., limited or no) growth agenda. All government can do [...]

Noted in this morning's Argus yet more discussion about the on-going "road diet," the once and future solution to Petaluma's presumably flabby roads. After some seven years of steady dieting, cross-town traffic certainly hasn't improved (chorus of groans here), and there is little noticeable improvement in the quality or quantity [...]

In case you were worried, you might be comforted to know that anyone who had the urge to drop a quarter in a slot machine at 3am on Thanksgiving morning was welcomed by the friendly folks at the Graton Rancheria Casino.

The headline on yesterday's Argus read "Train Stop in Limbo. No funds for a second SMART station." And, by the way, the Corona Station was the stop that was to have parking. Alas, no parking at the Lakeville / Washington station. Guess you'll have to take the infrequent buses. SMART [...]

Gee it's tough being a Petaluma City Councilperson, so many activists to placate, constituents to coddle and issues to straddle. And of course, in this climate of diminished revenues (let's not trouble ourselves as to why revenues are diminished), all city departments have to share the pain equally. No favorites. [...]

Thanks to an approval for an Environmental Impact Report (EIR), the widely desired (by 72% of Petalumans) and rabidly opposed (by nimby's, "progressives," and the rest of the anti-everything minority) Rainier connector - between the east and west sides of river city - is once again in the news. Don't [...]

The Petaluma Police Department held a bar-b-que yesterday where they presented awards to some deserving officers and employees, and recognized the department's first group of citizen volunteers #PPDVolunteers. The group will donate a couple of days each month to shouldering select administrative tasks in order to free up Petaluma's Finest to better [...]

Though the faux Hotel Petaluma controversy has pretty much faded from the daily discourse, the example set by those chronically outraged by nearly everything, but who apparently can make no greater contribution to the common weal than to "occupy" somebody else's space, lumbers on.